818 Arts

Let me start with: you’re not going to feel the soul of 818 Arts until you meet the curator.

What I mean by curator is: the curator/event planner/coordinator/community organizer. This man doesn’t sleep. The curator, Jason Correa, is a well-spoken, down-to-earth, mindful, community-oriented soul who captains 818 Arts. While I won’t actually have the chance to step into 818 Arts until April 8th, I easily got a feel for 818 Arts.

818 Arts is a young art platform which has been born of the art gallery Casa Corval, Van Nuys, 2014, and now the newer gallery space called Naturál, also in Van Nuys. Correa curated a group show every month at Casa Corval, while simultaneously running an art studio (turned art show location). Correa saw potential in both, and moved to a bigger space, 818 Arts.

818 Arts was home to the January 28, 2017 San Fernando Valley Art Book Fair (SFV Art Book Fair), and will be hosting its first group exhibition on April 8, 2017. While 818 Arts has had a soft opening of sorts, April 8th promises to boast the art platform’s debut show, Love Deluxe, which is a SADE inspired group art show. In addition to the group exhibition, 818 Arts is hosting a book fair on September 23, 2017, near Van Nuys City Hall.

You probably haven’t asked yourself yet why an art platform is hosting a book fair, because you probably have made some subconscious connection between books, fairs, and art. And simply, you’ve subconsciously presumed that the three fit together. The progressive and intuitive marriage of art and community is just what 818 Arts is about.

Particularly notable is how 818 Arts is nestled in a locale similar to the rising DTLA Arts District. The 818 Arts space is situated in an industrial area, which parallels the DTLA Arts District. However, 818 Arts is actually situated in a neighborhood which it serves and draws life from, as opposed to placing any community at an arm’s length.

Correa, the soulful curator I spoke about at the beginning of this article, is steering 818 Arts with purpose and direction. The idea is twofold: to shed light on Van Nuys (and the SFV) with all of its promise as a hidden gem, and dually to provide a platform and space for peers and community members.

Correa acknowledges that Angelenos don’t associate quality art spaces with the SFV, and he wants to change that. Correa seeks to provide events and spaces for neighborhood creatives, so that creative youth in the SFV have local spaces to hone and honor their talent. Correa further believes local businesses will be acknowledge and frequented through the curation and organization of progressive art events centered around an art space.

Correa truly is community-minded, and he backs the talk and action up with humility. Correa has been known to foster his peers and associates who are in need of advice on how to push their artwork, but Correa frequently doesn’t ask to be billed as a consultant or organizer. Correa says it all comes back eventually, and that since he’s in a privileged position right now, he just wants to give back.

So feel privileged, dear citizens of NoHo. We are in the “know” about a promising and progressive art platform in its nascent years.

Where: 818 Arts

Address: 15168 Raymer Street

Van Nuys, CA 91405

Upcoming Events:

Group Exhibition; April 8, 2017 [818 Arts] Book Fair; September 23, 2017 [Van Nuys City Hall]

Raleigh Barrett is a vegan Angeleno transplant who has lived in the NoHo Arts District for five years. She certainly won’t be leaving California in the next four years. Raleigh recently graduated from the University of Chicago with a Master of Arts specializing in Linguistic Anthropology. While in Chicago, she worked as the Gallery Assistant at the Renaissance Society. Raleigh is thrilled to be back and blogging for the NoHo Arts District.